أقسمت من فرقك بالفجر

والشعر بالليل إذا يسري

I swore by the dawn when you left,

And by the night poetry when it flows,

لاملت في الحب إلى سلوة

ما دمت حتى الطي والنشر

That I found solace in love,

As long as I live and breathe.

يا عاذلي عذراً فإني امرؤ

اخو غرام والهوى عذري

My critic, excuse me, for I am a man,

Whose passion is love and infatuation is my excuse.

لا تلح في الحب لمن لم يمل

لنحو زبد لا ولا عمرو

Do not insist on love from one who does not tire,

To the likes of froth, nothingness and futility.

علقته كالظبي عن طرفه

هاروت يروي آية السحر

I linked him like a gazelle by his glance,

Harut narrating the verse of magic.

ساق لنا عنقودها قد جنى

من صدغه في سالف العصر

He brought us its clusters as if plucked,

From his cheek in the olden days.

بها لنا حبي فقلنا له

يا مرحبا بالشمس والبدر

With it we had our love, so we said to him,

O welcome sun and full moon!

ورحت من فيه ومن ريقه

نشوان من كأس ومن خمر

I found bliss in his essence and saliva,

Joyous from a cup and wine.

كم ليلة بت بها ساهرا

وهو بها وسنان لا يدري

How many nights have I spent awake,

While he in them, was unaware and sleeping.

ارقب ضوء البدر من وجهه

اذا بدا في حندس الشعر

I watch the moonlight on his face,

When it appears in the darkness of his hair.

ولاح في الافق هلال الدجى

كأنه طوق على نحر

The crescent of dusk emerged on the horizon,

As if a necklace on a neck.

او لا سوار ضاق عن معصم

اولا يدٌ دارت على خصر

Or a bracelet tightened around a wrist,

Or a hand circled around a waist.

او لا جبين بالصبا مشرقٌ

سه لنا يبدو سنا الفجر

Or a radiant forehead in the morning,

Appearing to us like the dawn.

او حاجب كالقوس من نبله

وساوس تخطر في الصدر

Or an eyebrow like a bow from his arrows,

Whispers stirring in the heart.

او لا قضيب مال في دوحه

لما عليه سجع القمري

Or a rod bent in its bucket,

What's on it is like the moon's ornament.

او خادم مال مكبا على

اقدام من رق به شعري

Or a servant leaned over

The steps of one whose hair my poetry adorned.

مولى سما قدرا ومجدا ولم

يزل عليا سامي القدر

My Master bestowed fortune and glory but did not

Cease to be the most Sublime.

فرد بلا ثان له في العلا

أعذيه بالشفع والوتر

Matchless, unparalleled in highness,

I appeal for his mediation and intimacy.

يمينه تروي لنا عن عطا

ووجهه الضحاك عن بشر

His right hand tells us of his gifts,

And his smiling face of good news.

اندى من الغيث يدا كفه

وجوده اوفى من البحر

Dewier than rain his palm,

His generosity more faithful than the sea.

ما فيه من عيب سوى انه

يعطي ولم يخش من الفقر

No flaw in him except that,

He gives without fear of poverty.

هباته لم تحص عد وقد

جلت عن التعداد والحصر

His gifts are beyond count,

Transcending enumeration and measure.

لولاه ذات الثغر ما اشرقت

ولا بدت باسمة الثغر

Were it not for him the smile would not have shone,

And the smile would not have appeared with his name.

اقسمت بالعصر لئن ملت عن

مديحه اني لفي خسر

I swear by fate, if I stop,

Praising him, I will be at loss.

يا ناظر الجيش وعين الورى

وغرة في جبهة الدهر

O watcher of the army and eyes of the world,

And the pride on the forehead of time.

زادت على الابحر يمناك بال

وفاء من ابحرها العشر

Your generosity augmented the abundant seas,

And the mention of Moses after you.

وذكر موسى بعد طي لنا

نشرته يا طيب النشر

So extend a hand to the enemies,

With it you conquered, O Master of flow and ebb.

فامدد يمينا للاعادي بها

جزرت يا ذا المد والجزر

And of your gifts upon us, give the most bountiful,

For they are sweeter than droplets.

ومن عطاياك علينا أفض

فانها احلى من القطر

How many hands do not tremble, upon one like me,

In ease and in hardship?

فكم لا يدبك ايدٍ على

مثلي في العسر وفي اليسر

Take this ode in which I rose,

And which composes a necklace of pearls.

وخذ قصيدا بك رفت وقد

تنظم عقدا من الدر

Innocent in descriptions, virtuous,

My mind brought it forth.

عذرية الاوصاف طائبة

عقيلة انتجها فكري

It aspires to prose's beauty in its rhythm,

And rhythm can be beautiful in prose.

يروم حسن النثر في نظمها

والنظم قد يحسن بالنثر

So live long, without a rival,

O surpasser of matters.

فاسلم وعش عمرا طويلا بلا

مضارع يا ماضيَ الامر

You still rise to the highest heights,

To the ascensions of Gemini and the eagle.

لا زلت ترقى في علو علي

مطالع الجوزاء والنسر

Your star remains forever,

The sun of highness, alive for eternity.

ولم يزل نجمك شمس العلا

يبقى ويحيا ابد الدهر

The warbler did not sing in branches,

And the branches did not sway with blossoms.

ما غردت ورقاء في ابكة

ومالت الاغصان بالزهر

Until the smile of praise shone, and parted from,

Composing the essence of gratitude.

وضاء ثغر المدح وافترّ عن

نظم ثنايا جوهر الشكر